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BEST Sun Tzu Books & Quotes of All Time

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Arthur Worsley
by Arthur Worsley
M.A. Psychology, Oxford. McKinsey Alum. Founder & Editor at TAoL.

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Contents
1. Who Was Sun Tzu?
2. The Best Sun Tzu Books of All Time
3. More Books Like Sun Tzu's Books
4. Best Sun Tzu Quotes
5. Wish There Was a Faster/Easier Way?

Who Was Sun Tzu?

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking.

Learn more about Sun Tzu

The Best Sun Tzu Books of All Time

Why these best Sun Tzu books and not others? To stay objective, I rank all my book recommendations by a combination of what’s most loved (Goodreads rating), what’s most popular (Goodreads review count) and what’s proven timlessly relevant (first publication date).

This isn’t a whimsical list. It’s a data-driven, crowdsourced collection of the best Sun Tzu books ever published as decided by book lovers like you.

And if you think something's missing? I LOVE book recommendations so if there are any other books by Sun Tzu that you think deserve mentioning, email me and I’ll be sure to include them in the next round of updates.

Until then, here are the best Sun Tzu books of all time...

Best Sun Tzu Books: The Art of War
The Art of War - Sun Tzu (FREE Summary)
The Art of War is THE classic guide to military strategy that has inspired soldiers, politicians and business leaders worldwide for millennia. Its timeless (and time-tested) lessons in outthinking and outflanking your adversaries are as valuable in the boardroom as on the battlefield - by Chinese Qi Dynasty military general and master strategist, Sun Tzu.
Published -500 // 273 pages // Rated 4.0 over 297,000 reviews on Goodreads

More Books Like Sun Tzu's Books

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Best Sun Tzu Quotes

Here are some of the best Sun Tzu of all time...

"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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